What initially started as a planting of a few native trees and shrubs in the Smithville Cemetery with a small pollinator border, ended up being a nearly 1,300 square foot garden! In coordination with the Scituate Land Trust (cemetery owner) and the Town of Scituate Department of Public Works (DPW), the location was selected between the two entrances of the cemetery on town-owned land. This was already the location of the Richmond Mill Bell Tower Memorial that houses the original bell from the Richmond Mill which operated in Scituate from the late 1800's until approximately 1921 when the mill was shut down in order to construct the Scituate Reservoir.
The original space around the Bell Tower was merely patchy grass. The Community House, the cemetery, and the Scituate Art festival all are in this area making it a high-profile spot in the town. A committee of garden club members, including a landscape designer, presented a garden design to the club. With the installation of granite curbing by Scituate DPW, our project was underway.
The next step was the installation of a blue stone walkway. Plantings in the garden include purchased plants and also specimens donated by club members.This includes a Forest Pansy Eastern Redbud tree, 5 species of native shrubs, and 25 species of perennials, in total, over 200 plants and 800 bulbs. Greater than 90% of the perennials are native. A circular iron bench was donated by a club member and placed around the Redbud tree so people can sit and enjoy the beauty and peacefulness of the garden.
The project would never have been possible without the generous support of several organizations: the Rhode Island Wild Plant Society and the Rhode Island Federation of Garden Clubs. In addition, the club designated donations in memory of a deceased member toward the project. The Scituate DPW also helped enormously with the curbing, walkway, transporting and planting the trees and shrubs, and with donating mulch to the project.
The garden won the Kathryn M. Sheehan award from the Rhode Island Federation of Garden Clubs in April, 2024.
A large, nearby tree was removed by the Town of Situate in June 2024 which significantly changed the sunlight and the aesthetics in the Bell Garden. The club added a new Tulip Poplar tree in order to reclaim the original light profile. The club is committed to ongoing maintenance of this lovely garden in perpetuity, as it has become our showcase garden in a very prominent location in North Scituate.
